Bud ads go back to basics

10 March, 2008

ByChristine Boggis

Anheuser-Busch is launching an ad campaign for Budweiser designed to highlight the brand's "authenticity and provenance".

The campaign carries the strapline True Dedication and will run on TV, in cinemas, outdoors and in the press from April, with backup from POS, trade education including a series of brewmaster dinners, sponsorship deals, digital marketing and PR.

"The campaign is celebrating what makes Budweiser truly unique, and refreshes and reinforces its iconic status," said Budweiser's UK marketing director Vicki Kipling.

It is one of very few UK-specific campaigns for Budweiser since the US lager has been sold here, and was created by ad agency Fallon, which is famous for the Cadbury's gorilla ad and the Skoda cake car ad.

A-B is also running a blind sampling campaign in the on-trade which it is hoping to adapt for the off-trade. Brown bottles with mystery labels will be handed out to consumers, who can guess which lager it is and then text a number on the label for the answer - which comes with one of Bud's marketing messages.

In off-licences the brewer will be focusing on smaller packs in a bid to maintain its price point and avoid being dragged into deep discounting wars. A-B has also developed special merchandising units for the multiple grocers as part of the campaign.

In-store activities will include a consumer competition to win one of 1,000 sets of six branded 33cl glasses through a texting mechanic, and to win one of 5,000 Budweiser T-shirts. Retailers can get hold of posters and T-shirts to promote the competitions.

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